The Cost and Benefits of Drinking a Cup of Coffee

If you’re a coffee lover, you probably have a favorite brand or a certain way you drink it. My husband drinks his coffee black. He favors a dark roast. Me? I must have cream and some type of sweetener. I don’t like strong coffee at all.

If you’re up and out of the door on the way to work, do you make a stop en route to buy a cuppa or do you make your own at home and take it with you in a travel cup? Or do you go out to meet friends specifically so that you can enjoy store-bought coffee while you catch up on each other’s news?

The Cost of Coffee

How much you pay to grab a caffeine boost when you’re on the go varies in each city and country. In fact, recent research from Couponbox has shown that the cost of an in-store Starbucks varies hugely from country to country. However, the best value solution by far is to make your own using Starbucks beans purchased from the grocery store.

Couponbox price-checked the three drinks – americano, latte, and cappuccino – in 22 different Starbucks locations around the world. The cheapest average price between the three drinks is in Warsaw, Poland, where you’d pay $2.68. At the other end of the scale, a Swiss coffee-lover pays an average of $5.92 in Bern. A New Yorker pays $2.89. However, if you buy a 12 oz bag of Starbucks beans from Target, you can produce the same cup of Joe at home for an astonishing 24 cents per cup.

A Starbucks in London is more expensive than a Starbucks in New York.

Coffee is Good for You

It may interest you to know that not only is your favorite brew something that you enjoy but it also has a number of health benefits attached to it. There have been plenty of studies into the pros and cons of consuming coffee, but for anyone who’s a fan here’s some of the good news.

Stanford University researchers have suggested that the caffeine in coffee could counteract inflammation that occurs with aging, caused by higher levels of an inflammatory protein called IL-1-beta. According to the study, just a couple of cups a day could help reduce the activation of IL-1-beta activating genes in older people. It’s thought that this could have an effect on blood pressure problems and cardiovascular conditions, though further research is required to prove this.

Antioxidants have long been associated with offering the body protection against cancer and heart disease. There are a number of foods that contain antioxidants, but according to a study from 2005, we absorb far more antioxidants from a cup of coffee than from a cup of green tea or a plate of fresh fruit and vegetables.

The antioxidants in coffee have also been linked to the release of serotonin (the happy hormone) in the brain. Research by the Harvard Public School of Health suggested that those people who consumed two to four cups of coffee each day were 50% less likely to consider suicide than those who didn’t. Caffeine’s antidepressant qualities are linked to the fact that it boosts the production of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline in the brain. So, if you think drinking a cup of coffee cheers you up, you are probably correct.

These are just some of the health benefits attached to coffee and will be good news for anyone who loves to drink it. The fact that you can enjoy your favorite beverage at a fraction of the price if you’re prepared to brew at home is just an added bonus.

I usually brew my coffee at home unless I’m traveling, shopping or meeting up with friends. Do you brew your own or is the coffee shop the place to be?

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Comments

I am not a fan of coffee, but my husband is. We buy the bags of Dunkin Donuts at the store to make iced coffees on the way to work and the price difference is amazing!HeidiDee recently posted…The Dry, Achy Hand Solution!

I’m like you – my coffee has to have creamer & sweetener, but I like my coffee strong. One of my older friends though keeps on telling me to try to enjoy it black. He says it’s healthier. Nevertheless, I can’t imagine my mornings at work without caffeine because it always puts me in an extra good mood.

I just never developed a taste for coffee. I have read good and bad about drinking coffee that goes for everything. Millions of people drink coffee everyday and can’t do without their cup.candy recently posted…Blogging Grandmothers Link party #9

I usually brew my own at home. I have kcups that I really love. However, that being said, if Im at the mall or running errands around town, I might stop by the coffee house!Jenn @ EngineerMommy recently posted…How To Create a Budget That Works (and stick to it!)

I’m not really a coffee addict, but I do drink it probably 5 days a week. I can’t have it without creamer. If I have too much caffeine, it makes me way too jittery. I make it for my son before I go to bed, so he can have it in the AM. He’s spoiled! My daughter hates it. She won’t even have a chocolatey kind!Christy Maurer recently posted…Leftover Pot Roast Vegetable Soup

We brew our own coffee. It takes me two large mugs of coffee to enable me to really wake up in the morning. My husband likes it black, while I like mine with a non-dairy sugar free creamer. I know coffee has health benefits primarily because of the antioxidant properties. I’d take over anytime over any other beverage.Annemarie LeBlanc recently posted…The Light Between Oceans At-home Screening Party With Friends #LightBetweenOceansBluray

I don’t know what I would do without my daily coffee…one cup or two, of course. I just love having a cozy cinnamon flavored mug at home, but I also love to treat myself to a lavender latte at my local coffee shop, too!Amanda recently posted…How to Have the Ultimate Date Night in Chicagoland

This is such a great post! I think a lot of times people aren’t sure about coffee because there’s always so many different sides/stories about it. It’s definitely an addiction, but it’s good to know that it isn’t ALL bad! It’s pretty low in terms of WW points too!

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Hi! I'm Alli - wife of one, mom of 5 and nana of 5. I'm a southern cook who loves to share recipes, entertain family and friends and travel to the Caribbean at least once a year. Becoming a beach bum is high on my to-do list!

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